Gutters for building structures and the like are often trough-like structures formed from sheet metal and mounted by various means to the building. The roofs of such buildings are sloped to direct runoff water into a gutter, which is pitched to carry the water away.
A conventional sheet metal gutter is shaped from a thin sheet of aluminum alloy or galvanized steel into an elongated open trough having various cross sections, such as rectangular or semi-circular. One type of commonly used gutter has an inside, or rear, wall which is positioned adjacent the building and extends generally upwardly parallel to the building surface to which it is attached. A gutter of this type has a front wall forming the opposite side of the trough. The upper margin of the front wall has a lip formed by various bends in the sheet metal structure.
Conventional gutters of the type discussed hereinabove are often mounted near the upper margins of a building wall immediately below the eaves drip line to catch water flowing from the building roof. Fasteners of various kinds, including special gutter-fastening screws, are driven into suitable parts of the building structure, including fascia boards, rafter ends, and the like. Roof shingles and the lower margin of a roof often extend out over the gutter to guide water flow directly into the gutter trough. It is often difficult to find sufficient space to drive a fastener into the upper margin of a gutter mounting near the edge of a roof. A fully driven fastener has its head very near the edges of the overhanging shingles.
The prior art is replete with gutter hangers, some of which provide for fastener elements. One of the most common hangers has been the nail and ferrule type in which a ferrule is disposed between the front and rear walls of the gutter, and a nail is driven through the front wall, through the ferrule, through the rear wall and into the frieze board or fascia of the building structure.
Another type of mounting bracket includes a bracing means and an attachment means. An arm extending across the width of a gutter includes a hook at one end for engaging and bracing the lip formed on the upper margin of the gutter front wall. At the other end of the arm is a clip for engaging the upper margin of the gutter rear wall. A nail is driven through the rear clip and the upper margin of the rear wall in order to mount the bracket and gutter to the fascia board of a building. If the fascia board is, for some reason not parallel to the gutter rear wall, the gutter rear wall will not lie against the fascia board. Shims or other means must then be provided.
Still another prior art means for mounting or hanging a conventional gutter includes using a long spike and a long sleeve. The sleeve is horizontally positioned inside the gutter between the upper margins of the front and rear walls. The long spike is driven through the gutter front wall, through the sleeve, through the gutter rear wall, and into the building structure. The gutter walls are not positively engaged by the sleeve and the spike which is frictionally engaged in the building may eventually be worked loose by various water and ice conditions.
Finally, another type of mounting bracket includes a bracing means and a screw held by a guide portion. An arm extends across the width of a gutter includes a hook at one end for engaging and bracing the lip formed on the upper margin of the gutter front wall. At the other end of the arm is a clip for engaging the upper margin of the gutter rear wall. A screw is driven through the rear clip and the upper margin of the rear wall in order to mount the bracket and gutter to the fascia board of a building. Because guide portions of such mounting brackets are generally weakly held to the bracing means, such guide potions are prone to failure making it difficult to maintain and the drive the fastener into place.
There is a continuing need for inexpensive, simple-to-construct, yet sturdy, gutter hangers that can be used with conventional gutters and the like which overcome the deficiencies noted above. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description that follows.